Be Kind Rewind - Underappreciated Soundtracks ... of
Fire!
By Michael Nazarewycz
When you mention ‘80s movies, soundtracks come to mind. And when you
mention ‘80s movie soundtracks, there are many that are easy to
remember: Footloose; Top Gun; Vision Quest; Purple
Rain.
But there were some fun movies in the ‘80s with really good soundtracks
that are often overshadowed by the giants of the era. Here is a pair
with a unique title similarity! |
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Streets
of Fire
1984
Starring Michael Paré, Diane Lane, Rick Moranis, Amy Madigan, and Willem
Dafoe
Directed by Walter Hill
In a time that looks like it’s part past and part future, rock star Ellen
Aim (Lane) is kidnapped by gang leader Raven Shaddock (Dafoe). Aim’s
current love and manager, Billy Fish (Moranis), hires her true love and
ex-boyfriend, tough guy Tom Cody (Paré), to rescue her. The entire film
is like a comic book come to life. On the soundtrack, you will find the
anthemic “Tonight Is What It Means To Be Young” by Fire Inc.; the
haunting “Sorcerer” by Marilyn Martin; “Deeper and Deeper” by ‘80s fave
The Fixx; and the Billboard Top 10 hit “I Can Dream About You” by Dan
Hartman.
Great
Balls of Fire!
1989
Starring Dennis Quaid, Winona Ryder, and Alec Baldwin
Directed by Jim McBride
Quaid is over-the-top in his portrayal of legendary musician Jerry Lee
Lewis – the man who could have toppled Elvis Presley were it not for
some bad choices in his personal life. This biopic covers Lewis’
meteoric rise; his competition with The King; his relationship with his
cousin, future televangelist Jimmy Swaggart (Baldwin); and the scandal
that ruined his career: his affair with, and marriage to, his underage
cousin, Myra (Ryder). It’s formulaic as bios go, but Quaid and the music
make it worth it. Movie soundtracks like
Dirty Dancingng and The Big
Chill didn’t corner the market on offering hits from the ‘50s and
‘60s to kids from the ‘80s. This film’s record not only features the
original recording of the title track, it also features a great
re-record by Lewis (aka The Killer Himself). Lewis also re-recorded for
this soundtrack (and to great effect) his past hits “High School
Confidential,” “Breathless,” “That Lucky Old Sun,” and a wonderful duet
of “Crazy Arms” with Quaid, who can carry a tune.
Check out other Be Kind Rewind
issues:
Michael Nazarewycz is a
US-based Writer for UK-based
Filmoria.com.
He also blogs at
ScribeHard On Film. He can be reached via Twitter
@ScribeHard.
